His Butler: Forgotten
by LadyRayne217
Summary: The tranquil winter afternoon is interrupted by a mysterious figure and Ciel's ever faithful butler Sebastian seems to know the figure right away. But before the boy could get any answers from his butler, Sebastian is attacked and for the first time since making a contract with the demon, Ciel slowly starts to learn a little bit about Sebastian's past and who he truly is.


**Chapter One: His Butler, Attacked**

There was an eerie chill in the air.

Ciel Phantomhive could feel it even through the several layers of winter clothing he was currently adorned in. To be quite honest, the young boy did not understand why it was that he needed to wear so much clothing just to go outside and partake in some wintery activities with his fiancé, Lizzie. Sometimes he couldn't help but feel as though Sebastian had intentionally dressed him in so many layers just to see him struggle to even make it to the front door of the manor. That damned fool was always playing games whenever he could and Ciel vowed that he would make his demon butler pay for making him look and feel like an overstuffed marshmallow.

If he could even free himself from the suffocating clothing that was. For the time being though all Ciel could do was waddle, or attempt to waddle, towards the front of the Phantomhive estate with Lizzie practically dragging him behind her the whole way. The girl was excited. There was no denying that for the huge smile on Lizzie's face was proof enough that she was looking forward to spending time with Ciel, even if his ever loyal butler, Sebastian, would be overseeing the prearranged date. That was to be expected anymore though, for to see Ciel without Sebastian trailing behind him would have been an unusual sight. Everybody knew that wherever Ciel Phantomhive went, Sebastian Michaelis was sure to follow and sure enough, the raven haired male was already at the front door holding it open for the Lord and Lady like a good butler would do.

"After you, my lord, my lady." Sebastian said with a small bow of his head, one arm held in front of his chest as he gave a customary bow.

Lizzie practically giggled at the sight as she continued dragging the somewhat protesting Phantomhive out of the manor. Though the young girl still did not know how it was that Sebastian had come to be employed by her brooding fiancé, Lizzie was just glad that the older male had somehow managed to endure serving under Ciel for three long years. Any other servant would have probably run for the hills crying after only spending a few hours in the presence of the young lord yet Sebastian had stayed. Through Ciel's good days and through his bad days, Sebastian had always remained by the boy's side and so long as Ciel wasn't alone then that made Lizzie happy. The girl wasn't stupid. Underneath of Ciel's tough façade, there was still a young boy yearning for any form of attention and Sebastian had been the one person able to give him the attention that he needed without any words having to be exchanged. It was a silent understanding that neither Ciel nor Sebastian spoke of out loud yet knew that it was still there.

The energetic blond giggled that silent bond and she soon found herself eagerly tugging her grumbling fiancé out towards the massive front lawn of the Phantomhive manor. Snow from the previous evening coated the ground in a good several inches of snow and even more snow was predicated to fall throughout the day. It truly was a lovely sight, seeing everything covered in white and Lizzie could not help but smile briefly. The light powdery snow lay undisturbed upon the ground except for the tracks that Lizzie and Ciel were leaving behind them in their wake and as the two children ventured out onto the grounds, Sebastian watched the pair from the front steps of the manor with a small smile on his face. Even though Sebastian knew that Ciel had initially protested the thought of having to entertain Lizzie by spending some time outside, the boy secretly looked forward to the small break that Sebastian had provided him from his studies.

Not that Sebastian had some reasons of his own as to why it was he had granted Ciel some personnel time for he was a butler first and foremost and a demon second. As a butler, it was Sebastian's duties to ensure his master had a well-balanced schedule of studies, business, and pleasure. Not only that but some fresh air would do his master some good since he had been cooped up in the manor for a few weeks now although Sebastian was still monitoring Ciel silently for he did not want the boy to experience an asthma attack that could easily be brought on by the cold air.

Sebastian could still remember when he had first discovered about his master's ailment and how alarmed he had been. Him. A demon of hell alarmed and _concerned _for a mere human. A human who had made a deal with a demon without a moment's hesitation. It was disgusting to say the very least and Sebastian had started to wonder if maybe he was starting to go soft. A demon that showed any signs of weakness was as good as dead for in the demon realm, to show weakness could ultimately lead to one's untimely demise. His past though was not something that Sebastian had thought about during his time on the human plane for his mind had always wandered elsewhere. Anywhere other than the life he had left behind in order to peruse the human realm looking for delectable souls. In the three years that he had served faithfully under the Phantomhive name, Sebastian had found himself starting to feel things that he as a demon should have not been allowed to feel and it was those feelings that would probably lead to his undoing.

It was very unbecoming to say the very least and Sebastian had to remind him countless times why it was that he was there in the first place. He was there to consume that delicious morsel that was the boy's soul and the demon butler found himself licking his lips eagerly at the mere thought. Oh how his long wait would be worth it and it was with that thought in mind that Sebastian quietly closed the front doors of the Phantomhive manor before turning to start making his way down the front steps to follow loyally behind his lord and the boy's fiancé.

***

An hour soon passed since Ciel and Lady Elizabeth had gone outside to enjoy the wintery landscape and it was nearly time for the children to come inside to get warmed up. An hour of play in the cold temperature was long enough as far as Sebastian was concerned for he really did not want his master pushing himself just to make certain that Lizzie was happy. Though the boy would not admit it out loud, Sebastian knew that his master did care for the girl and would make honest attempts at making her happy even if she could get on his nerves on more than one occasion. Sebastian had to admit that Ciel Phantomhive was unlike most other mortals that the demon had come across in his centuries of preying upon mortals and the demon knew that he would probably never come across such a deliciously conflicting mortal ever again.

What a pity. A soft sigh escaped Sebastian's lips as he slowly started to make his way towards the pair, who appeared to be making an attempt at building their very first snowman together. If Sebastian were in the mood, he probably would have noted how _cute _it was seeing Lizzie adding the final touches to the snowman while Ciel stood a few feet away, supervising the girl's efforts silently. No doubt he probably felt as though it was beneath him to partake in such childish behavior but the young master seemed to forget that by human standards, he was still nothing more than a child as well. Such behavior would have been considered acceptable if Ciel had decided to partake in the activity yet Sebastian knew that the boy was stubborn and would not participate in something he held no interest in.

As Sebastian approached the two, he could not help but notice the somewhat uncanny, if unrealistic portrayal, the snowman had that resembled the demon butler and the sight of the snowman peaked Sebastian's curiosity. Was that supposed to be a snowman of him? A dark eyebrow raised in curiosity at the thought as he came to stand beside his snowman counterpart just as Lizzie was wrapping a red scarf around the neck of the snowman. Well, more like the bottom of the snowman's head since snowmen really didn't have necks.

"And what have we here, my lord and lady?" Sebastian asked with his voice filled with forced curiosity and a smile to mach..

Lizzie paused in the middle of tying the scarf around the snowman's neck while Ciel stood behind her pathetically attempting to cover up a smug smirk. Sebastian felt his eyebrow twitch at his master's smirk. Apparently he was finding the whole situation to be rather amusing and Sebastian was not pleased that the young lord was so amused at his butler's humiliation.

"Oh Sebastian! This is our snowman butler. Since you're the greatest butler in the world, we decided that we'd make him look like you. What do you think?" The girl asked with a grin as she turned the snowman's head just enough so that Sebastian could get a good look at the snowman. It was obvious that the girl was completely oblivious to her fiancé's amusement and Sebastian's obvious disgust at the sight of the snowman looking back at him as though mocking him. What a revolting sight.

The thing looked nothing at all like him or at least that was Sebastian's opinion anyway. Not that he considered himself to be vain in any way but he knew for a fact that he looked nowhere near as disgusting as the round creature before him. Where crimson eyes were supposed to be, there were two red berries haphazardly placed upon the snowman's face that were not even the same size thus giving the snowman the appearance of being cross-eyed. In place of Sebastian's perfect nose was anything but a perfect nose as in its place on the snowman was a disfigured stone that gave the appearance that its nose might have been broken in some sort of altercation.

The snowman was an absolute abomination as far as Sebastian was concerned and he felt his eyebrow twitch slightly in annoyance as he also took notice of the black feathers that adorned the snowman's head, no doubt to represent his hair. Well, at least there was _one _thing about the snowman that looked even _remotely _close to him and Sebastian managed to keep his composure calm and collected as he looked over at Elizabeth with that charming smile of his. Even though behind the smile it took all Sebastian had not to grind his teeth down to nothing. Those blasted children would be the death of him yet.

"I think that it looks lovely, my lady. You truly have a gift in your snow making abilities." Sebastian was able to hide the disgust in his voice even though there was nothing more he wished to do than to tear that bloody snowman's mocking head right off of its body. But such a violent reaction would not be appropriate for the Earl's butler and so Sebastian stifled his disgust as best he could. It appeared though that he was doing a good enough job masking his disgust for neither Lizzie or Ciel seemed to have any inkling as to how badly Sebastian hated that disgusting snowman. Well, maybe his master knew but wasn't showing it as the boy continued to rest a hand in front of his mouth, no doubt to conceal that arrogant smirk that was still present. Elizabeth on the other hand seemed quite pleased with Sebastian's false words and turned towards Ciel with her chin held up proudly in the air.

"See? I told you that he'd like it. And you said that he'd ha-" Lizzie's words were abruptly cut short though when Sebastian suddenly lunged forward without any warning and was wrapping his arms protectively around her.

"Ahh!" The girl screamed in surprise as she and Sebastian went crashing to the ground just as the snowman they had just been standing in front of just moments earlier was suddenly obliterated by some unforeseen force.

The remains of the obliterated snowman flew up into the air making a temporary shower of snowflakes before they once again fell to the ground and when the last snowflake fell, a strange male appeared in the same spot the snowman had once sat. Ciel, who had been momentarily shocked at his butler's sudden reaction, soon regained his composure when he noticed why it was that Sebastian had suddenly lashed out like that. Of course Sebastian would not have made such a bold move unless there was an obvious need to do so and Ciel tore his gaze away from his butler, who had been slowly rising back to his feet with Lizzie tightly clinging to the front of his jacket. Sebastian's back was now covered in snow from where he had fallen, making certain that Lizzie had landed on top of him instead of the blanket of snow that would have surely soaked through her winter garments and soak her to the core. Such was to be expected of Sebastian and Ciel's gaze soon turned away from the pair then and soon found himself locking eyes with the stranger that had not only trespassed onto the Phantomhive grounds without permission, but had also intruded on private affairs.

Such bold actions would not be tolerated and Ciel narrowed his eye at the stranger in an attempt to express his displeasure with the sudden intrusion. Even though he would constantly complain about his escapades with Lizzie, Ciel had still come to look forward to him though his pride may not have allowed him to admit such a thing out loud. The fact that the stranger had destroyed something that Lizzie had put her heart into building would not stop nagging at the back of Ciel's mind and the young lord's displeasure was clearly evident upon his face as he continued to glare at the stranger that stood before them.

"Sebastian, it would appear as though we have an unwanted guest." The boy said with a frown as he watched out of the corner of his eye as his butler gently set Lizzie back on her feet then, the girl immediately untangling herself from Sebastian's jacket and rushing over to Ciel's side in order to wrap both of her arms around one of his own.

"It would appear that way, young master." Sebastian responded as he brought a hand up to brush away some stray snowflakes that still clung desperately to the sleeves of his jacket.

Lizzie, who was still clinging to Ciel's arm and visibly trembling from the near death experience, looked over at the stranger then with her bottom lip trembling as she contemplated on speaking up or not against this mysterious man. Pride getting the better of her though, Lizzie soon managed to find her voice knowing that so long as Ciel and Sebastian were by her side that no harm would come to her. It may have been a huge oversight on Lizzie's part but it was a risk she was more than willing to take and the girl's grip tightened slightly on Ciel's arm before she finally managed to found her voice.

"W-what's going on? Why did you destroy our snowman?!" It was obvious that she was more upset over the destruction of the snowman than the fact that she had nearly been killed. Lizzie obviously needed to sort out her priorities if the fate of a snowman was more important than her own wellbeing and Ciel found himself shaking his head in obvious disbelief at the girl's sudden outburst. Leave it to Lizzie to get upset over a stupid snowman.

The stranger, who had been focused more on Sebastian than the two children, blinked once as though remembering that they were there before he slowly turned to look over at the girl as a wicked smirk began to spread across his face. A smirk that sent chills down not only Lizzie's spine but Ciel's as well as his gaze briefly locked onto the stranger's and for a brief moment it felt as though the stranger was somehow looking into the very depths of his soul. Much like when he had first met Sebastian and he had found himself lost in the demon's hypnotizing gaze. A gaze that Ciel would never forget as long as he lived however long or short that may be.

It was only when Sebastian suddenly appeared in front of him like a black blur that Ciel felt himself coming out of whatever trance he had been locked in and when the boy focused more on his butler, the more he noticed that Sebastian's entire body posture was rigid and poised to strike at any given moment. Whomever this stranger was, it seemed as though Sebastian was anticipating some sort of fight yet Ciel had no idea why it was that his butler had come to such a conclusion so quickly. Then again, he had learned long ago that Sebastian's instincts were always spot on and that it was pointless to question him for his reasoning. That moment would be no different for if Sebastian felt as though he should be prepared for some sort of fight then chances were that a fight was bound to occur. It was simply a matter of when at this point.

As Ciel watched the scene silently before him with Lizzie still clinging to his arm, Sebastian's eyes had narrowed to piercing slits as they locked onto a pair of equally piercing violet eyes as the stranger tore his gaze away from his master to instead focus on his intended target, Sebastian. There was a tension in the air that everybody including Lizzie and Ciel could could feel as they watched the butler and the stranger's gazes meet. It was a bit unnerving to say the very least and it was almost like watching two large predators about to square off with one another for the right of top predator. The thought sent shivers down Ciel's spine and the boy instead decided to focus his attention elsewhere, such as just whom exactly it was they were dealing with.

The young man looked no older than Sebastian. Maybe early twenties if one was using human years for even though Sebastian looked to be in his early twenties, he was much older than that in demon years. Much much older. Next Ciel's gaze wandered to the other's hair. Hair the color of the darkest of nights cascaded down to the stranger's shoulders and were neatly curled at the ends. The stranger's skin was almost as pale as the snow that covered the landscape before them and Ciel could not help but make a mental note of how…_unnaturally _handsomethe newcomer appeared. He almost reminded the boy of his own butler who, after the contract had been made between them, had taken on a human form that was more than appealing to look at. If one was a woman of course to make such an observation for Ciel would not allow himself to admit that, while in his human form, the demon was rather handsome by human standards.

Ciel was gratefully snapped from his musings though when the stranger finally spoke up and he turned his attention back towards the situation at hand with an annoyed look upon his face. So the bastard finally decided to speak up did he?

"What cute kids you've seemed to have adopted my lord. I must admit though that you've always had an exquisite taste when it came to mortals." The stranger smirked, his voice soft and almost feminine although that came as no surprise for his features had led Ciel to expect such a voice to come from the other.

Lizzie's words went completely unanswered though for it seemed as though the stranger was intently focused on Sebastian, who had yet to move from where he stood. Ciel blinked then blinked again though in slight confusion as he listened to the stranger address Sebastian so formally. What in the world was that idiot blabbering about? Was it possible that he also knew what Sebastian really was? He had used the term mortals after all and Ciel knew that such a term was not commonly used amongst humans, even himself. It was a term that Ciel had only heard supernatural beings use around other supernatural beings and the realization sent a small chill down the boy's spine. If this stranger truly was a creature of the supernatural plane then why was he here and why was he being so formal with Sebastian? The questions threatened to pour from Ciel's mouth but before they could, a gloved hand was raised in the air by Sebastian, immediately stopping the questions from leaving Ciel's mouth.

It was almost as though the demon knew the words that threatened to escape Ciel's mouth and had put a stop to them before they could come forth. The gloved hand was enough to cause Ciel to immediately close his mouth even though it was obvious by the look in his eyes that he was not in the least bit pleased to have been silenced by his butler.

"My lord, will you please escort Lady Elizabeth back inside the manor? It's getting rather cold out here and I'd rather not have you catching a cold if I can prevent it." Sebastian stated in a calm demeanor although Ciel thought he heard what sounded like annoyance hidden underneath the surface of his butler's words.

It was obvious that whomever this stranger was, it must have been somebody that Sebastian knew for the look on his butler's face said it all. Sebastian was not happy to see the stranger nor was he too fond of the words the stranger had addressed him by…"_my lord." _Why was it that the other male had referred to Sebastian so formally? Just like Sebastian would address him almost all the time. Why did the two seem to know one another? Wouldn't have Sebastian told him if this stranger was going to be a problem? The questions once again threatened to eat away at the boy's curiosity however he knew that there was no point in standing around trying to get answers from his butler when it was obvious Sebastian was in no mood to talk. The demon could be quite stubborn when it came to such matters and it was probably where Ciel had gotten his own bout of stubbornness from though he did not admit such things out loud.

The boy made quickly himself a mental note to scold the demon for telling him what to do although he gave no indication of displeasure upon his face. All Ciel could do was simply give a slight nod of his head in understanding as he reluctantly turned his attention away from his raven haired butler to instead focus on the quivering Lizzie instead.

"I expect to see you back inside when you've settled your personal business, Sebastian. That's an order." The boy added the last part with a frown as he gently reached down to take one of Lizzie's trembling hands in his own.

Sebastian slowly lowered his hand that had still been held up in the air to initially silence his master and he glanced briefly over his shoulder to give Ciel a charming smile. A smile that made Ciel's heart tremble every time he saw it and the butler's three simple words snapped the boy from his wandering thoughts once more.

"Yes…my lord."

Ciel didn't know why but hearing those three simple words helped to relieve some of the uncertainty he felt about leaving his butler alone with the mysterious stranger. Sebastian would be alright. He was a demon after all and demons did not die easily. The boy knew that much from experience for he had seen Sebastian sustain grave injuries before and still managed to survive. His butler was strong and Ciel had faith in him. He was really the _only _one that Ciel trusted enough to be alright when he said he would be and it was with that thought in mind that Ciel turned to look over at Lizzie then. The girl was visibly torn between emotions of anger and fear as her eyes were filled with sheer outrage over the destruction of the snowman and yet her body trembled in fear at the situation at hand.

"Come along now, Lizzie. Let's go see if Tanaka has prepared us some hot chocolate." Ciel's voice seemed to cut through the emotions the girl was trapped in as she blinked slightly and turned to look at her fiancé with a frown.

Lizzie didn't move for the briefest of moments as Ciel attempted to walk away yet was soon stopped when the girl didn't budge an inch. Her hand instead moved to grip tightly onto Ciel's own hand as she watched as Sebastian turned his attention back towards the stranger then, once he was certain the children were doing as they were told.

"But what about Sebastian?" she whispered as she pulled herself close to Ciel.

Ciel rolled his eyes and managed a small scoff at Lizzie's question as he brought his free hand up to gently pat Lizzie's hand comfortingly. It was the kind of gesture that, under normal circumstances, Ciel would not have done but if Sebastian was about to reveal what he truly was then he didn't want Lizzie seeing that the Sebastian she had come to know and adore was a demon of Hell. Literally.

"Sebastian will be fine. Now come along, I'm freezing and can't feel my toes." This time, Lizzie didn't protest as Ciel started to once again guide her back towards the front of the Phantomhive manor and she found herself peering over her shoulder to glance back at Sebastian's ever distant figure as they walked.

"Be careful Sebastian." Her voice was soft and trembled in obvious concern for the butler as her grip tightened on Ciel's hand as the two children soon found them safely out of harm's way as they ascended the front steps of the manor.

Sebastian had waited until he could no longer hear the sound of the children's footsteps and the reassuring sound of the closing front doors of the Phantomhive manor before his smile suddenly vanished without warning. His gaze hardened and he turned his full attention back towards the stranger, who had been watching Ciel and Elizabeth with feigned interest as they retreated. Apparently the stranger had been expecting such a reaction from Sebastian for the second raven haired male didn't even flinch at Sebastian's fearsome glare. Instead, the other seemed slightly amused at the other's reaction as he brought his hands up to casually tuck into the pockets of his winter jacket.

"Cute kids. Hardly enough for a snack for you though my lord."

"Silence Marx." Sebastian growled as he clenched his gloved hands tightly into a fist.

The stranger, now revealed as Marx, allowed his gaze to lower briefly to Sebastian's side, taking note of the demon's anger, and a small smirk slowly spread across his face.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Falling for your prey, my lord? This isn't at all like the Lucifer I remember…"

"I said that's enough!" The words seemed to enrage Sebastian as he roared his own words before suddenly lunging towards Marx, eyes burning in anger and intent to kill blazing within them. The gaze of a demon with one thing and one thing only on his mind, death.

Marx seemed amused at Sebastian's volatile reaction and he braced himself for the demon's attack. His own eyes started to glow a crimson red as well and he brought his hands up to intertwine them with Sebastian's own hands when the other demon attacked. The two instantly went crashing into the snow with enough force that it shook the very ground itself and the aftershock could even be felt in the Phantomhive manor where Ciel had just managed to get Lizzie inside when the first aftershock hit. There was enough force from the impact that it left dishes rattling and chandeliers quivering before it subsided and Lizzie clung onto Ciel tighter as she looked over to the closed front door with wide eyes.

"Wh-what's going on, Ciel? Who was that guy and how did he know Sebastian?"

Ciel frowned. For once in his life, he did not have an answer and it bothered the boy greatly. Not only that but it also made Ciel realize that he did not know his butler as well as he had thought despite the other having been in his company for over three years now. The more that Ciel thought about it, the more he realized that he hardly knew a thing about Sebastian especially when it came to his past and where it was that he had come from. What had Sebastian done before he had formed the contract with him? Had he made other deals with mortals just like him and consumed their souls after the contract had been complete? If Ciel recalled correctly, the demon had been alive for centuries, way before Ciel was even born so what had Sebastian done during those years that he was not aware of? The young Earl growled at the thought and his grip unconsciously tightened on Lizzie's hand as he brought his free hand up to rest lightly against the eye patch covering the seal of his and Sebastian's contract.

"I do not know, Lizzie. I honestly do not know." Another aftershock soon rumbled throughout the mansion and this one held a bit more force than the last. There was so much force this time in fact that several dishes tumbled from where they had been held on display and crashed to the floor sending shards of glass flying everywhere.

The force of the aftershocks left Ciel's teeth chattering and his bones aching as they ripped through the mansion and the boy's mind attempted to figure out what was going on outside. Whatever it was it could not have been good because the force of the aftershocks alone indicated a powerful battle raging on outside. Whomever the stranger was Sebastian was fighting, he must have been putting up one hell of a fight and that frightened Ciel the most for he had never once come across an opponent that Sebastian could not beat. Could it be possible that there was an even more powerful demon lurking right outside than Sebastian? The boy was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice that the rest of the Phantomhive staff had silently gathered in the foyer of the front hall until Mey-Rin, the every klutzy fool that she was broke the eerie silence.

"My lord, what's goin' on?" The red haired girl asked as she brought a hand up to push her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. Another aftershock soon ripped through the manor though causing Mey-Rin's glasses to once again slip down the bridge of her nose and she immediately gave up on the futile attempt of keeping the glasses securely on her face.

Ciel, who had still been holding onto Lizzie protectively throughout the aftershocks, looked over at his staff and it was obvious by the fear reflecting in his own eye that he truly had no idea what was going on at this point. It was a harsh reminder that despite Ciel's cold and callous demeanor, he was still nothing more than a mere child and even he was capable of feeling fear when it presented itself.

"I…I don't know what's going on." The boy admitted as an even more powerful aftershock ripped through the manor causing cracks to start forming within parts of the walls and floors.

Whatever was going out there, it wasn't certainly wasn't getting any better and Ciel couldn't help but fear what was happening to his butler just outside. Under normal circumstances, Sebastian would have finished by now with whatever problem he was usually faced with yet nothing about this particular situation seemed normal at all. The fact that Sebastian had yet to return caused an uneasy feeling to grow in the pit of his stomach to grow and Ciel was biting down so hard on his bottom lip that he could taste the blood in his mouth.

"Uh, your lord? Forgive me for prying but…where's Mister Sebastian?" Finnian's voice cut through Ciel's dark thoughts and the boy blinked slowly as though just coming out of some sort of trance.

The manor was silent for several long moments. The aftershocks no longer raging on outside and it was the eerie silence that snapped Ciel to action. The boy knew that now was the time to act and as head of the Phantomhive Estate, it was not in his best interest to allow himself to be consumed by fear. Now was the time to act and remind everybody why it was that he was head of the Phantomhive Estate in the first place. Now was not the time to allow his emotions to get the best of him and it was with that thought in mind that Ciel slowly pulled away from Lizzie then and gently started to push her towards the direction of Mey-Rin.

"Mey-Rin, you stay here with Lizzie. The rest of you will come with me, no questions asked." The boy ordered in a firm voice indicating that there was no room for argument.

Lizzie blinked slightly as she was suddenly being pushed into Mey-Rin's arms and the confused expression on the girl's face matched the confused expression on the maid's face perfectly. It was obvious by the look on Lizzie's face that she had wanted to protest Ciel's orders yet one look at the boy's face instantly silenced any and all protests for Lizzie recognized that look immediately. It was a look that meant questions or protests would fall upon deaf ears and Lizzie immediately closed her mouth as soon as it had opened.

The rest of the staff on the other hand all exchanged uncertain glances with one another before deciding that it was best not to question their young master's orders. It was apparent that there was something going on that involved the head butler of the Phantomhive estate and whatever that something was, Bard and the others wanted to help in any way that they could. They owed Ciel and Sebastian that much after the two had rescued each and every one of them in their darkest time. The staff of the Phantomhive manor would follow their master and Sebastian to the ends of the Earth if that was to be expected of them and so, while Mey-Rin gently took Elizabeth by her shoulders and started ushering her out of the room, Tanaka and the others assembled by Ciel's side, prepared to venture outside to see what all the commotion was about.

Ciel had to admit that he was momentarily surprised that there had been no protests from his staff and even from Lizzie, who had gone with Mey-Rin surprisingly quiet. Either the girl knew that it was best not to question Ciel's orders or whether it was because she had been terrified at what she had seen outside but whatever the case it was obvious she wasn't going to put up any struggle to remain by Ciel's side. The boy was admittedly grateful at the rather obedient side of the girl for that was simply one last thing that he needed to worry about. Now Ciel could safely focus on the task at hand and the boy turned around then to face the three remaining staff who appeared more than willing and eager to carry whatever orders they were given.

"Bard, I need you to go retrieve your flamethrower. Finny, you will come with me outside and Tanaka…" Ciel paused a moment as he wondered what he could possibly have the old man do without risking him as well.

The last thing that Ciel needed was to risk losing another member of his already small staff and the boy wasn't about to force Tanaka into a situation that he couldn't handle. It was quite the predicament but the young earl would luckily not have to dwell on the matter for much longer though for suddenly the front doors to the manor were thrown open and a gust of cold winter air rushed through the foyer. Everybody standing within immediately turned to face the doors, bodies tense and posed to strike at any signs of danger but their guards were quickly dropped when they recognized the dark figure standing, or more accurately leaning, in the doorway.

"Mister Sebastian!" Finny cried in obvious relief at the sight of the butler. The blonde haired boy, who had been standing protectively in front of Ciel grinned at the sight of the butler and he went to take a step forward along with the rest of the staff who were equally glad to see Sebastian.

Ciel, who had remained standing where he was, did not express the relief he had immediately felt at the appearance of his butler, and slowly brought his arms up to cross them in front of his chest as he lifted his chin in the air. No need to have Sebastian catching on that he had actually been worried about him. That was the last thing that the boy needed to have the demon torment him with for Ciel knew how Sebastian could be when it came to that sort of thing. It was simply best to pretend that he was more annoyed at his butler than relieved to see him and Ciel tapped his foot impatiently against the file of the foyer to cover up his relief.

"Hmph, I believe I told you to tend to your personal business quickly Sebastian. Quickly being the key word there." The boy snorted as he closed his eye shut and kept his chin pointed in the air to continue expressing his displeasure.

"I'm sorry…my lord…" Ciel's eyes flew open at the demon's words and he knew right away that something was not right. There was something in Sebastian's voice that he had never heard before and Ciel felt his heart leap in his chest as he started to spin around to face his butler as his mind registered the word best used to describe the tone of Sebastian's voice.

Pain. Pain that, under normal circumstances Sebastian would not have allowed to be shown for that was a sign of weakness. The demon was not weak and yet there was no doubt in Ciel's mind that his voice was laced with pain. But why? What could have possibly been the cause of pain…

"Mister Sebastian you're hurt!" Finnian's words suddenly echoed throughout the foyer drawing Ciel from his thoughts and the boy had found himself in the middle of turning to face his butler just as Sebastian suddenly toppled forward without warning.

The demon's eyes were already closed as unconsciousness had finally claimed him and had it not been for the quick reflexes of Finny, Sebastian would have ended up falling face down on the cold tile floor of the foyer. The gardener though had managed to prevent such an occurance from happening and the blonde's arms wrapped protectively around Sebastian's body as the two of them went stumbling backwards a few feet until Finny was able to regain his balance.

"Mister Sebastian!" Finny's cries of concern echoed throughout the foyer as the rest of the staff immediately rushed over to Sebastian's side all except for Ciel…

Ciel remained frozen where he stood. One blue eye wide in shock as the boy looked down at Sebastian's lifeless body that was now being cradled in Finnian's arms. There was so much blood. It practically seemed to coat the front of Sebastian's tattered uniform and there appeared to be a particularly nasty gash on the back of the demon's head where blood had begun to clump the usually pristine hair.

"He…He's bleedin' very badly. He needs a doctor!" Panic welled up in Finnian's voice as he turned his gaze over to their frozen master with his own eyes wide.

It was obvious that the gardener, as well as the rest of the staff, were waiting for their master's orders even though Tanaka was already shrugging off his own jacket to start tearing it apart to make temporary bandages to tend to Sebastian's wounds. Their master though had yet to utter a single word as he continued to stand there with the shock now evident upon his face. The boy's uncovered eye was wide and filled with shock as he slowly lowered his gaze down to the unconscious demon's form, his mouth partially open and muttering one word over and over again.

"Sebastian. Sebastian. Sebastian. Sebastian!" Ciel's voice finally rose to more than a whisper as he hesitantly approached his butler and he slumped down onto his knees, ignoring the sticky feeling of the demon's blood that was starting to pool underneath the limp body.

Small hands reached out hesitantly to rest on either side of Sebastian's cheeks and Ciel's grip tightened slightly as the boy attempted to initiate some sort of reply from his butler.

"Sebastian!"

**To Be Continued…**

A/N: I do not own any characters/settings associated with this story. I simply own my idea and nothing else. All credit goes where credit is due.


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